Français
Categories
    • Heritage and History
    • Libraries
    • Parks and Nature
    • Shows and Exhibitions
    • Sports and Recreation
    • City Suppliers
    • Funding and Assistance
    • Innovation and Research
    • Permits and Authorizations
    • Awards and Distinctions
    • Diversity
    • Neighbourhood Life
    • Prevention and Social Action
    • Universal access
    • Public Consultations
    • Resident Initiatives
    • Air
    • Collections and recycling
    • Ecological Transition
    • Soil
    • Trees and Gardens
    • Water
    • Budget and Financial Profile
    • Municipal Taxes
    • Property Assessment
    • Disaster Risks
    • Police and Firefighters
    • Public Health
    • Buying and Selling a Home
    • Homes
    • Outdoor Development and Maintenance
    • Renovation and Construction
    • Cleanliness
    • Construction and Street Closings
    • Snow Removal
    • Travel and Transportation
    • Administration
    • Boroughs
    • City Hall and Elected Officials
    • Jobs
    • Organizations and councils
    • Publications and Data
    • Pets
    • Wildlife and Insects
    • Claims and Complaints
    • Tickets and Appeals
    • Land-Use Management
    • Urban Planning
Services
  • Points of Service
  • Parks
  • Libraries
  • Ecocentres
  • Municipal Arts Centres
  • Sports Facilities
Calendars
  • Arts and Culture
  • Exhibitions
  • Sports and Recreation
  • Public Participations
  • Neighbourhood Life
Contact Us
  • 311
  • The Mayor
  • Elected Officials
  • Media Relations
  • Services
  • Requests
  • Tasks
  • Activity log
  • Personal information
  • Account settings
  • Communication preferences
  • Services
  • Applications and Requests
  • Tasks
  • Activity log
  • Members
  • Information
Add an organization
  1. Home
  2. Articles
  3. Public Consultations
iStock

Public participation: Have your say through tools and forums

Last updated June 2, 2021
Reading time: 2 min
Related to
  • How public consultations work
  • Right of initiative

Are you interested in getting involved in neighbourhood life? Are you looking for forums where you can contribute to reflection on urban projects that are transforming Montréal? Do you want to participate in a tangible way? Here is a quick overview of the different types of public participation.

What is public participation?

Public participation allows the population to contribute to the democratic life of Montréal or a borough. Residents can participate in areas such as urban planning, culture, the environment, mobility, and economic and social development. By participating, you are helping to develop programs, projects and investments that reflect your needs and aspirations.

Everyone can get involved

No matter where you live in Montréal, you can play an active role in your community. You do not need any particular expertise. Your in-depth knowledge of your neighbourhood and living environment is your passport to participating and making your voice heard.

A range of forums and tools 

The city and its boroughs offer a variety of ways to get involved.

Browse our calendar

How does public participation influence decisions?

Public participation helps decision-makers to take your point of view into account. 

Before making a final decision, decision-makers take a number of factors into consideration:  

  • Community needs
  • Concerns and proposals put forth by residents during public participation meetings 
  • The city’s strategic priorities and financial capacity
  • Compliance of all laws
  • Successful projects in other cities

A range of forums

The city and its boroughs offer a variety of ways to get involved. No matter who organizes the process, each one is unique and draws on a variety of methods to get your opinions and suggestions.

Public information sessions

To understand public participation topics or get details about the decisions being made. You can ask questions or make comments. Can’t attend? Most information is recorded and information about projects is available online.

Public consultations

An opportunity to express your opinions and participate in reflection. These events are hosted by several organizations that study diverse issues such as transportation, heritage, land use planning, democratic life, sports and recreation, social development, the environment, sustainable development and public safety. Click here to sign up to receive invitations to participate in upcoming consultations organized by the following bodies:

  • City council standing committees 
  • Borough councils and their committees 
  • Any other committee or group designated by city council, the executive committee or the borough council  
  • The Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM in French)
Co-creation processes

To find the best solution, city or borough departments sometimes have residents collaborate directly with their teams. Experts may be hired to help organize the process. 

For example, you could help develop a new library, redesign a park or create a new policy. You’ll also participate in discussions with other residents to look at complex topics in depth. 

See these projects that were developed through a co-creation process: 

  • Shared and pedestrian streets 
  • Lachine Est écoquartier (in French)
  • Louvain Est écoquartier (in French)
Participatory budgeting

A process that puts the power to imagine a project and decide collectively on its implementation back in the hands of the people. Participatory budget exercises are held regularly in many boroughs.

Right of initiative

You can ask the city to organize a consultation on a subject that affects you by taking advantage of the right of initiative. You must be 15 years of age or older and a resident of Montréal to apply.

A platform for participation

Also visit Making Montréal, a platform that hosts projects, where the public can complete surveys on travel habits online or vote for a development concept.

What is community involvement?

Do you want to get involved in an initiative near you or carry out a project to improve your living environment? Consult existing support programs:

  • Green alleys 
  • Community Alleyways Program (Lachine only)
  • Cleanups in alleys or parks
  • Murals (in French)
  • Participatory resident projects (Rosemont⏤La Petite Patrie only - in French)
  • Programme de soutien aux initiatives citoyennes (Lachine only) 

Advisory boards: Another form of engagement 

Residents are invited to get involved in various organizations that advise the city on varied subjects ranging from heritage and architecture, and intercultural relations to youth and the status of women.

  • Conseil des Montréalaises (Montréal Women’s Council) (in French)
  • Conseil du patrimoine (Heritage council) (in French)
  • Conseil interculturel de Montréal (in French)
  • Conseil jeunesse de Montréal (Montréal youth council) (in French)
Assemblée publique
Public ConsultationsThe public participation scale: Understanding community engagement

Quick search

  • Virtual consultations
  • Democracy and Engagement

Did you find what you need?

Help us make our site better.

Please explain what could be improved.
Back to top
My account
  • About my Account
  • Create an Account
  • Notices and Alerts
Contact us
  • Access to information request
  • Contact the City
  • Report a Problem
Work with us
  • Call for Bids
  • City Vendors (in French)
  • Jobs
Visiting Montréal
  • City Hall
  • MTLWiFi
  • Tourisme Montréal
About us
  • By-laws
  • Medias
  • News Releases
  • Partnership Agreements
  • Public Notices
Follow us
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
Boroughs
Boroughs
  • Ahuntsic-Cartierville (in French)
  • Anjou (in French)
  • Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
  • L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
  • Lachine
  • LaSalle
  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal (in French)
  • Le Sud-Ouest (in French)
  • Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (in French)
  • Montréal-Nord (in French)
  • Outremont (in French)
  • Pierrefonds-Roxboro
  • Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles (in French)
  • Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie (in French)
  • Saint-Laurent
  • Saint-Léonard (in French)
  • Verdun
  • Ville-Marie (in French)
  • Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension (in French)
  • Privacy
  • Legal notice
Français
Are you sure you want to leave this page?

This page is not available in English. You will be redirected to the English home page.

Leave this page